Receiver support



March 30, 1937. E. H. HAND RECEIVER SUPPORT Filed April 12, 1935 m E V w.

Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT .UFF ICE 2 Claims.

.My. invention relates to receiver supports, and is particularly adapted for use with hearing-aid receivers,-and receivers which are supported in position on the head of the user so that the hands maybe left free for the performance of various tasks.

Devices of the general character described have been heretofore made, but there have been several difliculties which have made their use unsatisfactory. In using the previous known conventional type of headband support for the receiver, it has been found that if. a sufficient amount of tension is placed upon the headband to properly position and hold-the receiver,

thepressureupon the head of the user becomes very oppressive, and after a long period of time, quitepainful; on the other hand, if the tension of the headbandis relieved, the receiver is so loosely held .that foreign sounds will interfere with the correct reception of sound being transmitted through the receiver.

Another difiiculty'that has been found is that while a device may operate fairly satisfactorily with one type of head, it will be utterly unsatisfactory for another-type, and, consequently, there will result faulty reception or extreme discomfort to-the user.

.An 'objectof my invention is to eliminate the difliculties just described and to provide a receiver support which .is'si'mple'in construction, economical to manufacture, and which, while achieving the objects just described, is not rendered unsightly or' inconvenient for 111386.

Another: object is the provision .of. ardevice'in which the pressure desired for perfect reception maybe relieved to a largeextent during periods when close attention is not necessary, and yet permit the device to remain in position for-.instant use and adjustment for close attention when needed.

Another object is the provision of a device in which the receiver is supported so that a large measure of universality of movement of the receiver to various positions is made possible as to place the receiver in the exact proper position for good reception, regardless of the shape of the head or ear of the user.

' Other objects will appear hereinafter.

My invention, therefore, comprises a head- 5 band,: a receiver support carried by said headband,- a. positioning and clamping member for placing and maintaining :the receiver in proper position for good reception, and adjusting means for readily increasing or decreasing :the tension of .the' positioning and clamping: member.

T My invention may be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing, -in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my. device anda bone conduction receiver in unassembled relation,

Figure 2 is a partial front e'levation of my device with the boneconduction receiver-assembledin proper relation,

Figure 3 is a side elevational "view-of mydevi'ce assembled with a bone conduction reoeiven ar id showsthe relation of the parts in an exaggerated :mannerwhen the adjusting "means has been moved to relieve the tensionof the positioning and'clamping member,

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of my device assembled with a bone conduction receiver having its magnet at the bottom of the-receiver,

Figure 5 is a :side elevational'view of the deviceshown in Figure 3 and illustrates the adjusting member :at a different position, and

Figure 6is a partial'side elevational view of a modified form of :mydevice, which maybe used with the. ordinary telephone-type receiver-"or headphone; in dotted lines is shown'the relation of the parts when the tension on the clamping memb'erxis removed by the adjusting member.

Mypreferred 'formof construction comprises a headband l0 formed, preferably, of a relatively inflexiblestrip of metalformed into an arcuate or crescent shape. One end of the :band' IB-is preferably outwardly and upwardly curled, :as at 1 I, soastmprovide aa-more comfortable contacting' surface for the head.

At the. opposite iendsof xthe device is provided an-xannular opening through which is passed -a pin :IZ, 't-he oppositeendsof which are enlarged, for awpurposelater to be described. A yo'ke 'lS is, preferably', 1=provided with an upwardly extending arm Lportion Ill-in which is formed-an annular opening for the ireception of pin 12. Preferably, the annular "opening in arm I 4 is relatively larger in. :diameter than is the shank of pin' 42, arid, consequently, a considerable amount- 0f play is allowed at thispoint' for permitting the arm M to be twisted on theshank;as'wellas being swung onsaid shankp Likewise, the .pin lz is 'of' 'sufib cient length to permitzof arelatively large amouht ofzmovementof said arn'i lklongitudiriallymf pin l2, After-"the arm- M and: band "-I 0 are-assembled,

tomary casing H which isformed of a non conducting material, and carries the customary rectangular-shaped cap 48 iwhich-is adapted: to rest in rclosesproximity to the mastoid bone. Gnthe opposite vertical sides-bf'cap l8 areprovided a pair of oppos'itely openi-ng'recesses" I 9* which are recesses I3. Because of the loose fit of the endsin recesess I9, a considerable amount of movement of the receiver in many directions is possible, even though supported by the yoke I3.

On the lower face of headband I 0 is preferably suspended a positioning and clampin member 20.

The member 20 comprises an elongated flat spring strip 2| of arcuate shape, and adjacent one end thereof I provide *an annular opening through which maybe received a rivet 22which passes through a like opening in band I0 and secures the parts together. The are of member 20 is taken on a substantially smaller radius than that of the band Ill, and, consequently, the tendency of the member 20 is to press inwardly from the band Ill. The end of the member 20 opposite the end which is secured to the band I II is prefer-. ably formed into a U-shaped seat -23 which is of sufiicient size to receive the casing H of receiver I6. I

The lower end of the positioning member 20, that is, the end carrying the seat 23, may be passed through the upper portion of yoke I3 and the receiver I6 may then be engaged by the tonglike ends ofyoke, I3. While the seat 23 is finally arranged on the opposite side of yoke. I3 from that upon which the spring strip 2| of member 20 is positioned, there is, preferably, no contact between the yoke and the positioning member 20 at any place. This permits relatively free movement between the parts, and allows the receiver to rest in the correct position without interference between the parts.

A slidable sleeve 24 has an appropriate. slot therein which is of sufficient dimensions to 'receive slidably headband I0 and clamping and positioning member 20. In Figure 1, the sleeve 24 is at its uppermost extremity and in this position the clamping member may exert its greatest force inwardly to press the receiver I6 against the head of the user. However, such a great amount of force may not be necessary, or desirable, andyconsequently, the sleeve may be slid downwardly to the position indicated in Figure 3', and thus the clamping member 20 and its seat 23 are held outwardly so that a smaller amount of force is exerted on receiver I6 to press'the same against the head of the user.

As before stated, the parts in Figure 3 are illustrated in a somewhat exaggerated position'since the seat 23 is entirely outof contact with the receiver I6. However, in practical operation, the upper part of seat 23 will be pressing slightly against the upper part of receiver I6 even when the pressure is released by lowering sleeve 24. As can be seen from Figures 3 and 5, the upper part of seat 23 is adapted to press more tightly against the upper part of the receiver I6 because of the fact that in this particular type of receiver, the magnet is located at the top of'the receiver, and that is the position which it is desired to have in close contact with the head.

In the form shown in Figure 4, the magnet is located adjacent the bottom of receiver 25 and the seat 26 of positioning and clamping member 21 is differently formed from seat'23,v although the spring strip 28 is substantially the same as spring strip 2I in other respects. Likewise, the

headband 29 is similar to headband I0. A rivet 30 is similar to rivet 22, and holds positioning and clamping member 21 and headband 29 toether. Sleeve 3| is similar to sleeve 24, and operates in a similar mannen Pin 32 is --like pin I2, and the same is true of yoke. 33 which finds its counterpart in yoke I3. Due to the change of ;-angle of seat 26 from that of seat 23, the greatest amount of pressure that can be exerted by the seat is at its lowermost point where it presses the magnetof receiver 25 firmly into position.

The modified form of my structure, which is shown in Figurefi, comprises a headband 34 which in all important particulars is like the headband II] of my preferred form of construction. However, a bracket 35 is pivotally secured to one end of headband. 34; and-this? bracket. serves a purpose analogouscto yokev I3 in thecase:

slidably receives the main body of my clamping member 39, and headband 34, and serves to bring them together as the sleeve M. is slid down wardly. The lower end of member 39 is provided with a contacting portion 42 which is adapted to press upon the outer face of receiverv 38 when sleeve 4|. is brought downwardly to increasethe tension upon clamping member 39-. When the sleeve is moved upwardly the tension of the clamping member 39 raises it to the position indicated in dotted lines, and frees the ear of the user from the greater premure afforded when close attention is required,

It can be seen from the foregoing that an important underlying object of the various forms I have described is to press the receiver into the.

best position possible for the user so that he may hear with the greatest distinctness. Likewise,- another underlying similarity is that this pressure may be easily and quickly removed by simple movement of a sliding sleeve.

While I have shownand described my preferred forms of construction, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein f shown and described, but wish to avail myself of all variations coming within the scope of the appended claims.

Iclaim: V

1. A device of the character described comprising a headband, a receiver sup-porting yoke pivotally and loosely secured to one end of said headband, and a positioning and'clamping mem.- ber secured tothe lower face of said headband and having its lower end forming a receiver seat and passed through said yoke so as to press a receiver supported by said yoke into close contact with the head of the user.

2. A device of the character described com-' prising a headband, a. receiver supporting yoke pivotally andloosely secured to one end of said' headband, a positioning and clamping member' secured to the lower face of'said headband and:

having its lower end forming.areceiver'seat and passed through said yoke so as to pres's'a re-:

ceiver supported by said. yoke into close contact with the head of the user, and means forvarying,

the inward pressure of said positioning, .and' clamping member.

EDGAR H. 1 

